Making A Point
by capm
Summary: A new student has arrived at Royal Prep, who is quite different than the other students. Can she adjust to her new school, and can the other princesses and princes adjust to her?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

It is a perfect day, as always, at Royal Prep. The students are just arriving to begin the school day. Sofia, Amber and James have just landed and are greeting their friends. Sofia goes over to talk to Zooey, who is practicing her enchanting homework from the previous night.

"Levitato!" commanded Zooey. But the rock only stood up on one end. "Ohhhhhh! I'll get this yet!"

"Hi, Zooey! Practicing the levitation spell?"

"Hi, Sofia! Yes. I must be doing something wrong! I can only get the rock to stand on end!"

"I know! I'm having the same problem!"

Just then Vivian joined her friends.

"Hi, ladies! Are you having trouble with the levitation spell too? I can only get the rock to hop, see? LEVITATO!" And the target rock rose for a second and dropped.

"It's a difficult spell," answered Sofia. "I was going to ask Mr. Cedric to help me with it, but he's on a Sorcerer's Holiday."

"What's a Sorcerer's Holiday?" inquired Zooey.

"That's when all the sorcerers from the various kingdoms get together and give performances to show their talents."

Just then the final bell rang for class.

"We'd better get going," said Vivian and the three princesses hurried into Royal Prep.

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"Good morning, class!" exclaimed Miss Flora, and was echoed by Miss Fauna and Miss Merryweather.

"Good morning, teachers!" the class responded.

"A new student will be joining us today. Her name is Princess Gertrude!" stated Miss Flora, as she gestured to the door.

The class was initially shocked when Princess Gertrude entered the classroom - in a wheelchair! A short gasp rolled through the class, with Princess Hildegard whispering somewhat loudly, "Oh, she's crippled!" With Sofia exclaiming in exasperation, "Hildy!" Hildegard responded by embarrassingly covering her face momentarily with her ever-present fan.

Princess Gertrude took the reaction in stride; it has happened many times before.

"Thank you for the introduction, Miss Flora. But if you don't mind, I'd rather be called 'Trudy'."

"Very well, Princess Trudy it is! We have a place for you right up front by the window. You can use the table there."

"Miss Flora? I have a folding table attached to the side of my wheelchair that I can use, so would you mind if I was seated in back? That way I am out of everyone's way."

Miss Flora relented, and Princess Trudy rolled her chair to just past the last row, but centered in the middle aisle. That way she could see everything, and still not be in the way.

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Soon it was lunchtime. Princess Trudy was the center of conversation at one table.

"Can you imagine? A crippled princess!" exclaimed Hildegard.

"She probably needs someone to constantly look after her!" added Amber.

"She seems nice," countered Clio.

"But if she were a friend, what could you do with her?" asked Jun.

Just then, the princesses noticed Trudy rolling into the lunchroom.

"Oh no! She recognizes us!" said Hildegard in alarm.

"Let's go to the playground!" suggested Jun, and all the princesses vacated the table.

Trudy saw the reaction as she started rolling toward the other princesses. _The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same!_ she thought to herself sadly, as she spotted an empty table in a corner, and rolled toward it.

But Sofia and Zooey also saw the reaction. As Vivian joined them, they decided to talk to Trudy.

"Excuse me, but are these seats taken?" asked Sofia.

Trudy was a little surprised, but answered, "No, not at all."

"Then may we join you for lunch?" asked Zooey.

"Why sure!" exclaimed Trudy happily.

"Great! My name is Sofia. This is Zooey, and this is Vivian"

"Greetings, ladies. It's so nice of you to want to eat with me," stated Trudy.

"I can't think of a better way to get to know someone," replied Vivian.

And the four princesses enjoyed lunch together. The princesses found out that Trudy loves to play the piano, harpsichord and harmonium. She also enjoyed the sport of archery, painted and ' wheelchair danced'.

"Wow! You like archery?" asked Zooey. "I learned it while exploring with my parents. We should get together and try our hands at it!"

"That would be a grand idea! Why don't you Sofia and Vivian come over to my house for a play date?"

It was quickly agreed by the three princesses. They would go to Trudy's castle later in the week.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Sofia was excitedly looking forward to the visit with Trudy, and was telling Amber about it.

"You're going where?" asked Amber in a little shock.

"Trudy's! Zooey and Vivian are coming too. It should be fun!" answered Sofia.

"Sofia! You'll just take turns pushing her around in her wheelchair! That doesn't sound like much fun at all!"

"But nobody pushes her wheelchair around at Royal Prep!"

"Have you ever seen her arrive at Royal Prep? I bet the fairies have to use magic to get that heavy chair up the steps, and enchant the chair while it is on the school grounds."

"Wellllll..."

"You can go, if you like, Sofia. But I think your 'play date' is going to be a lot of work!" Amber finished and walked off to her room.

Sofia was beginning to have second thoughts about going. As the time to leave was closing in, Queen Miranda noticed that Sofia wasn't quite ready.

"Sofia? Aren't you supposed to be going over to Trudy's?"

"Well, yes. But I'm not sure I want to go now."

"Sofia! Remember when you had second thoughts about going over to Vivian's the first time? Once you gave Vivian a chance, she became a good friend didn't she?"

"Yes..."

"Then why not give Trudy a chance too. You may be surprised."

Sofia thought for a minute, and made up her mind.

"You're right Mom! I'm going to give Trudy a chance!"

"Then you best be going."

"Thanks Mom!" and Sofia began running to the waiting coach.

"Coachman, please take me to Princess Trudy's castle!"

"Right away, Princess!"

And Queen Miranda gave a contented smile as she waved good bye to her daughter.

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Sofia arrived at a castle very similar to her own. As she walked up the entrance path, Trudy came down a ramp to greet her.

"Welcome, Sofia! I am so glad you came! Most people say they'll come, but never do!" exclaimed Trudy, as they started up the ramp to the front door.

"Is that how you get into Royal Prep? By ramp?"

"No. Royal Prep doesn't have one, so I use a levitation spell."

"Wow! I am having so much trouble with that levitation spell!" exclaimed Sofia.

"Maybe I can help you with it, Sofia. It really has become second nature to me, since I use it so often. Oh, Sofia, will you excuse me for a moment? It looks like Zooey and Vivian are arriving!"

"Certainly."

Trudy used her levitation spell to get down to the two arriving coaches quickly, as it looked like it was about to start raining.

"Hi, Trudy!" exclaimed Vivian.

"Good to see you, Trudy!" exclaimed Zooey.

"Hi, Vivian, Zooey. Sofia is already here. Seeing it looks like rain, let me get you into the castle quickly." And with a flick of the wrist, Trudy levitated her friends and herself to the castle entryway, where Sofia was waiting.

"That was GREAT, Trudy! Was that a levitation spell?" asked Zooey.

"Yes, it was."

"Can you help me with it? I am having a lot of trouble learning it."

"Me, too," chimed in Vivian.

"Sure. Let's go get some wands and I'll show you how I do it." And the four princesses were off. But before they went too far, they were greeted by the castle's two black and white Great Danes. The visitors froze in their tracks.

But Trudy rolled next to the two of them, scratched their ears, and said " It's all right, Hercules, Ebony! These are my friends."

Then turning to her friends she said, "Oh, don't be afraid! As long as you are okay with a family member like me, you are okay with them. Just let them sniff you. They'll let you pet them."

Sofia was the first. She timidly approached the larger of the two, Hercules. He was a bit taller than she was, standing on all fours! She slowly extended her hand, and he sniffed it. He then let her scratch his chin, and then his ear. Sofia was loving it! "He's such a good boy!" she said as she gave him a belly rub.

Ebony went to Vivian and Zooey and the same thing happened! Before long, the visiting princesses were laughing and giving the large dogs belly rubs. Trudy was all smiles.

"We best be going, or they'll have you three rubbing their bellies all day!"

The princesses gave a good bye pat, and followed Trudy. Hercules and Ebony disappeared into the shadows.

The friends went to Trudy's room first.

"First, I'll help you all with that levitation spell. Then we can go to the music room, and follow that up with some painting and indoor archery," Trudy suggested.

"That sounds like a fun day!" exclaimed Sofia. The others agreed.

"But first," Trudy stated as she fetched some wands, "let's work on the levitation spell," she finished after handing each princess a wand.

"Why not show us how you do it, Trudy?" suggested Zooey, and seconded by the others.

"Alright."

Trudy then moved her wheelchair back a little, to provide some room.

"I start with my wand at about 10 degrees slant, then I confidently flick it to 90 degrees aiming at my target, and say 'Levitato'!"

And with that, Trudy's wheelchair was floating, and following her wand movement in the air! She then slowly lowered her wand, pointing to the floor, and landed her chair.

"Now one of you try it on those big pillows on the bed!"

Sofia tried first. She held her wand at a precise 10 degree angle, then slowly and deliberately lowered it to 90 degrees, saying, "Levitato!"

The pillows rumbled a bit, but did not levitate.

"Try flicking the wand a bit faster," suggested Trudy.

The next try for Sofia was a bit better, as the pillows momentarily rose, but then quickly dropped.

"Believe in yourself, Sofia! Magic is all about confidence!" encouraged Trudy.

On the next try, Sofia took a deep breath, flicked her wand at the pillows and exclaimed, "Levitato!" and low and behold the pillows were floating, following her wand! Sofia joyfully moved the pillows around the room and then gently landed them on the bed.

"I did it! I did it!" she exclaimed.

Trudy smiled.

With help and encouragement from Trudy, Zooey and Vivian also mastered the spell.

The princesses then went to the music room, and had an impromptu jam session, with Vivian on mandolin, Trudy on harmonium, Zooey on harp, and Sofia on drums. They played music until lunch time.

Trudy had a very nice lunch set up for her friends, and they talked happily about school, hair styles, fashion, favorite subjects, and favorite past times.

They then went to the Craft Room to paint.

"What shall we paint?" asked Vivian.

"I was hoping to paint outside, but that is out of the question with the rain. Any ideas for indoor subjects?" asked Trudy.

"How about Hercules and Ebony?" suggested Zooey, as it became clear that the three visiting princesses were awed by the two large pets. Trudy smiles.

"Fine with me. How about you, Sofia?"

"They'd be great subjects!" Sofia replied.

So saying, Trudy produced a small whistle, and used it.

"Is your whistle broken?" asked Sofia.

"No, it is a dog whistle. They can hear sounds at a higher pitch than we humans can."

And no sooner had Trudy got done speaking, both Hercules and Ebony were by her side. Trudy had the dogs just lay down, like they usually do, and the four princesses painted them.

"I can't wait to show my painting to my family," stated Sofia. The other friends agreed.

When all the friends were done painting, Trudy gave each dog a treat and they both went back into the castle.

"I know we only have an hour, or so left, so let's go to the indoor archery range," suggested Trudy.

But while they were on the way, Sofia and Vivian voiced some misgivings.

"I've never used a bow and arrow before, and I don't want to hurt anyone," lamented Vivian.

"Me neither," seconded Sofia.

"Don't worry. Zooey and I will be there and we'll help you both," assured Trudy. The two princesses gave a half hearted approval, but were still a bit concerned.

On arriving at the range, the friends could see that the targets were set up 25 meters away from the shooting line. Trudy and Zooey led the princesses over to the equipment table, so they could choose their bows and arrows.

After everyone had their bows and arrows, Zooey helped Vivian and Trudy helped Sofia on the proper way to hold the bow, load the arrow and shoot.

Vivian went first, and her arrow only went about 2 meters, "Ohhhhh!"

"That's alright, Vivian! Try again. remember to stand with your spine perpendicular to the ground, put an arc on the arrow, and pull the bowstring back farther," instructed Zooey.

Vivian's next shot was right at the base of the target. "A little more arc and a little farther back on the bowstring," encouraged Zooey. Her next shot hit the 3 point ring on the target.

"I HIT THE TARGET!" Vivian said with glee. The other friends applauded their approval.

"Okay, Sofia, your turn," said Trudy. "Remember everything Zooey told Vivian. and let it fly!"

Sofia did, and hit the 5 point ring on the target on her first pull.

"I hit the target too!" she exclaimed, to the applause of her friends.

Sofia and Vivian continued to shoot until their arms fatigued, which occurred quite quickly, seeing that they had never done this before. Now Zooey and Trudy would shoot.

"As guest, you shoot first, Zooey," said Trudy. Zooey thanked Trudy and shot three arrows. She hit the 7 point, 8 point, and 7 point circles.

"Nicely done!" exclaimed Trudy. Vivian and Sofia also applauded Zooey's marksmanship.

"Okay, Trudy, your turn!" exclaimed Zooey. Trudy also shot 3 arrows. She hit the 9 point, 8 point and 8 point circles.

"WOW!" exclaimed Zooey.

"That's fantastic!" added Vivian.

"You're as good a shot as Zooey," stated Sofia.

"Thanks, ladies. I usually spend an hour or so a day either here or at the outdoor range. I really like archery!" said Trudy.

"It's too bad Royal Prep doesn't have an archery team. Zooey and you would make a formidable entry!" exclaimed Sofia. Vivian agreed.

But it was now time for the three princesses to return home. The rain thankfully had stopped. Each princess had their paintings with them and thanked Trudy for a wonderful day. As they all flew off, they were happy to have made another good friend, and Trudy was happy to have some friends as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So, how was your play date with Trudy, Sofia?" asked her Mom at breakfast the next day.

"It was really fun! We painted, played music and I even learned some archery too!" gushed Sofia.

"You HAD to be tired from pushing that chair, Sofia!" admonished Amber.

"No, Trudy can control her chair manually or by magic. No one had to push her chair!"

"Did she have any pets. Sof?" asked James between bites of a breakfast biscuit.

"Yes! She has two huge Great Danes! They're both as tall or taller than I am on all fours!"

"Whoa, that makes them about twice the size of Rex!"

"Yes, but they are very friendly, as long as you are with a member of the family."

Queen Miranda then turned to King Roland and said, " Are you going to extend the invitations tomorrow, Rollie?"

"Yes, I'll leave early so I can be at the schools before school starts."

"Invitations to what, Dad?" asked James.

"It's time for the Tri-School Games! They are held every five years and this year Enchancia gets to host them!"

"Who are the participants, Daddy?" asked Amber.

"Royal Prep, Hexley Hall and the Junior Knights Academy!"

"Is there a reason why the Dunwiddie Village School isn't allowed to participate?" asked Sofia.

Roland thought for a few moments and then said, "I really can't think of a reason why they have never been invited."

"Then why not invite them this year?"

"I think I will, although I don't know where the students can train for the games."

"Why not ask Miss Flora and Sir Gillium. Maybe they can train with us at Royal Prep."

"That's a great idea, Sofia! I'll ask Miss Flora and Sir Gillium tomorrow when I visit."

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The next day, Friday, King Roland was true to his word. He left before breakfast so that he could talk to all of the school principals and related personnel, to extend invitations to the games.

As the students arrived for school in their classroom, Miss Flora had an announcement.

"Children! It is time once again for the School Games! And to provide more details, here is Sir Gillium."

"Thank you, Miss Flora. This year there will hopefully be a new school added to the games: The Dunwiddie Village School. That would make this the inaugural Quad School Games, if the Dunwiddie Village School principal accepts the invitation! I've offered to let them train with us for the games."

"What games are included, and how many team members can we have representing the school?" asked James.

"Well, James, there are five events: three individual events in which each school may enter two contestants, and two team sports. Ribbons will be awarded to the top three finishers in an event: Blue for first, red for second, and green for third. It is possible, although very rare, for a school to earn two ribbons, and the points that go with them. At the end of the games, the school with the most points wins a gold trophy, second place gets a silver trophy and third gets a bronze trophy. We can field a team of seven participants."

"How has Royal Prep done in the past?"

"Unfortunately not very well. Over the last ten competitions, we have one silver and nine bronze trophies."

"But that means we finished last nine times!" exclaimed Hugo.

"Yes, that is true. But if the Dunwiddie Village School joins the games, a last place finish will receive nothing except any individual event ribbons won."

"What are the events, Sir Gillium?" asked Sofia excitedly.

"The individual events are the 100 meter dash; bowling; and archery. The team events are Flying Derby racing and Dazzle Ball," replied Sir Gillium.

"Who can participate?" asked Zandar.

"Anyone who would like to participate can sign up after school today for the events they would like to participate in!"

"Brilliant!" exclaimed James.

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The Quad School Games were the talk of the day at school! After school, a number of students went to see Sir Gillium to sign up. Everything was going fine until Princess Trudy tried to sign up for the archery competition.

"I'm sorry, Princess Trudy, but I can't let you sign up for any events," stated Sir Gillium.

"Why, Sir Gillium? I am an active participant in the sport of archery!"

Zooey added, " And she's pretty good, too!"

"I'm sorry. The school can't take the risk of an injury to either Princess Trudy or the spectators," and with that, Sir Gillium turned to the other participants.

Needless to say, Princess Trudy was feeling pretty down, as she slowly wheeled her chair away to the waiting coach to take her home for the weekend.

"Zooey! We have to convince Sir Gillium to let Trudy participate!" exclaimed Sofia.

"How? He seemed pretty adamant!"

"I don't know!" replied Sofia sadly.

The students were all starting on their way home, excitedly. But Sofia was very sad for her friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

On Saturday, Sofia learned that the Dunwiddie Village School had agreed to participate. Sofia was excited and wanted to see if her village friends were going to participate, so she decided to visit Ruby and Jade.

Ruby and Jade were excitedly talking about the Quad School Games as they were making their way to the school, to get in some practice.

"This is SOOOO exciting!" exclaimed Jade.

"It sure is! And we get to participate too!" added Ruby.

Just then, Sofia joined her friends.

"Ruby! Jade! How are you?"

"Sofia, it's so good to see you!" exclaimed Ruby.

"And we have some news too! Our school has been invited to participate in the Quad School Games this year!" added an excited Jade.

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Sofia. "Do you know who signed up and for what events?"

"Yes! Karl and Lucinda signed up for the 100 meter run and Raymond and Karl signed up for the bowling. And of course, the usual suspects signed up for Dazzle Ball!" stated Ruby.

"Who signed up for Flying Derby racing and archery?"

"Hi, Sofia! Meg and I signed up for archery," said Peg , as the three friends arrived at the schoolyard..

"Although we've never shot an arrow before in our lives!" added Meg.

Sofia thought for a minute, and then came up with a great idea..

"Meg! Peg! I'll ask Princess Trudy to help you with your archery. She really is quite a good archer, as well as a teacher!"

"Do you think she'll have time?" asked Peg.

"With her practicing for the Royal Prep team archery event?" added Meg.

"Yes, she'll have time because she isn't signed up for any Quad School Games events. I'll need to ask her."

"Thanks, Sofia!" stated Meg.

"We can use all the help we can get!" added Peg.

"And Jade and I signed up for the Flying Derby horse event!" stated Ruby.

"You know, you really should get to know your horses before practicing for the race. Why don't we go to Royal Prep tomorrow so you can choose your mounts," suggested Sofia.

"That would be great, Sofia!" stated Jade.

"As for you, Meg and Peg, why not come with me to Princess Trudy's castle now to see if she'll help teach you archery."

"We'll have to ask our folks for permission!" stated Peg.

"And we'll be back with their answer in about five minutes!" added Meg.

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Meg and Peg's folks had no problem with them going with Sofia. They trusted her as a fellow Buttercup and knew their twins were in good hands.

In about a half hour, the coach was approaching Trudy's castle. They could see Trudy in the garden.

"Trudy!" called out Sofia.

"What? Oh, Sofia! I wasn't expecting you!" said Trudy softly.

"Trudy, I know you feel bad about not being able to participate in the Games directly, but I think I can help you be there indirectly."

"What do you mean, Sofia?"

"I brought two friends of mine from the village who signed up for the archery event, and could use some help, and I thought you'd be the perfect instructor!"

Trudy thought for a moment, as Meg and Peg quietly exited the coach.

"This is Meg and Peg, Trudy and they need you!"

Trudy perked up noticeably and stated, "Why I'll be happy to help you two ladies!"

"That's great, Trudy!" exclaimed Meg.

"Because we are beginners in the sport!" added Peg. It was obvious that neither Peg or Meg were bothered by Trudy being in a wheelchair.

"Let's all go to the outdoor archery range!" exclaimed a very happy Trudy.

At the range, Trudy patiently helped Meg and Peg choose an appropriate bow, and then went over some safety tips. When it was finally time to shoot an arrow Meg's only went about 1 meter as did Peg's.

"Ohhhh!" exclaimed an exasperated Meg, which was echoed by Peg.

"Don't get down on yourselves. Archery is really only fifty percent physical. The other half is mental. Keep a positive outlook and forget your last shot, whether good or bad. The only important shot now is the next shot," taught Trudy.

After a few more errant shots, Peg and Meg finally hit the ten meter target.

"I hit the target!" squealed Meg.

"Me too!" added an equally happy Peg.

"Excellent job, ladies! At the practices after school over the next four weeks, we'll adjust your technique so that you will do respectably in the event," stated a very happy Trudy, as the four girls headed for the waiting coach.

Meg and Peg thanked Trudy profusely, as they headed for the coach to take them home. After Meg and Peg had entered the coach, Sofia stated, "Thanks for agreeing to teach Meg and Peg, Trudy!"

Trudy squeezed Sofia's hand and said, "Thanks for asking me, Sofia. You don't know how much this means to me!"

Sofia returned the squeeze and entered the coach. The three coach riders bid a hearty good bye to Trudy, which she returned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was Sunday, and Sofia picked up Ruby and Jade right after breakfast, to take them to the Royal Prep stable area, where they could choose their horses for the Flying Derby race.

Upon landing, they saw Sir Gillium.

"Why hello, Princess Sofia! What brings you here to Royal Prep on a Sunday?"

"Sir Gillium? I'd like you to meet Jade and Ruby from the village. I brought them here to choose flying horses to ride in the Flying Derby race!"

"Well, welcome Jade and Ruby! I'll be happy to take you out to the paddock to select a mount for the race!" And Sir Gillium then amiably led Sofia and her friends to a paddock, where all of the flying horses were grazing.

"You mean we can choose any of those horses, Sir Gillium?" asked an awed Jade.

"Well, no. Some are already paired with a rider, such as the small purple horse, Minimus."

"He's my mount!" said Sofia proudly.

"But, any horse without a gold badge on its mane is available, as they have not been paired with a rider," stated Sir Gillium.

So saying, Sofia entered the fenced off paddock with Ruby and Jade. Immediately, Minimus came over to greet Sofia.

"Can we pet him, Sofia?" asked Ruby.

"Sure!"

So saying Ruby and Jade gently stroked Minimus' mane.

Minimus said to Sofia, "Your two friends are very nice, Sofia! Let me recommend a few horses for them. There's Ecru. He's pretty gentle and easy to control. There's Pepper. She's a bit high spirited and would need a pretty firm rider. Oh, and there is Dove. That's the white horse grazing on the edge of the pack of horses. She is very gentle, and easy to ride, but she has an odd disorder. Her left wing didn't develop as large as her right one, so she tends to fly on a diagonal from right to left."

"Thanks for the info, Minimus," said Sofia in his ear.

Ruby and Jade were looking at the horses when Jade walked over to Ecru. Ecru seemed to like her and she him.

"I think I'd like to ride this one Sofia," stated Jade as she gently stroked Ecru's mane.

Ruby kept looking when she spotted Dove. She approached Dove and started to stroke her mane. Dove was a bit surprised, initially, because no one has ever chosen her for anything. As Ruby talked to Dove, she liked her more and more.

"I think I want to ride Dove, Sofia," stated a happy Ruby.

"Uhhh, Ruby? Dove might not be a good pick for a Derby horse," cautioned Sofia, and Dove sadly lowered her head and was about to turn and go back to grazing alone.

"Why not, Sofia? I think she likes me!"

"That's true, Ruby, but Dove has an abnormally small left wing and doesn't fly in a straight line; she flies in a diagonal line."

Ruby thought for a moment, and then asked, "What if I compensate for her wing?" she asked.

Sofia relented, "You can give it a try."

"I will!" stated a determined Ruby, and Dove, surprised by Ruby's gumption, nuzzled Ruby happily.

"Okay, then let's tell Sir Gillium of your choices," said Sofia, as they exited the paddock. Both Ecru and Dove followed their new riders to the gate and gave them a happy nuzzle. Ruby and Jade were very happy with their picks.

Or at least Jade was. On hearing Ruby's pick, Sir Gillium tried to dissuade her.

"Ecru will be fine for you, Jade, but I think you should choose another horse Miss Ruby. Dove is gentle, but flies erratically. She'll be hard to control in a Flying Derby Race."

"Please let me try, Sir Gillium! I really like Dove and I think we'll do okay!" said Ruby persuasively.

Sir Gillium thought for a moment, and then said: "Okay, let's see how you do on her tomorrow during your first practice. If it seems to be working, you can stick with Dove. But if not, you'll have to ride Pepper. Agreed?"

"Okay!" replied Ruby.

As the three friends took their leave of Sir Gillium, all Ruby and Jade could do was talk about there horse choices. Sofia happily listened, as she remembered back to how she went on and on about Minimus, when she chose him.

Now everything was set for the village game participants to practice with Royal Prep's squad for the next four weeks, leading up to the Quad School Games.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

On Monday after school, the flying coach with the team members of the Dunwiddie Village School arrived to start practicing with Royal Prep for the Quad School Games. Sir Gillium greeted the participants.

"Hello members of the Dunwiddie Village School! I am Sir Gillium and I will help you all get started on your training for the Games. First of all, I need to know who signed up for what events, so I can put you in the same group as our Royal Prep students."

The Dunwiddie principal, Miss Makin, them stepped forward and greeted Sir Gillium, providing him with a sheet of who signed up for what events.

Sir Gilliam decided that the 100M dash, Archery and the Flying Derby events would be practiced on Mondays and Wednesdays, Dazzle Ball and Bowling on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the students could choose what they wanted to practice on Fridays. He explained that the Quad School Games would be held in four weeks, but that should be sufficient time to get trained for the events.

Sir Gillium was making sure all participants were in their proper practice groups, but he wanted to closely supervise the Flying Derby practice, to ensure Ruby and Jade's safety. He asked King Roland if he could help with the archers.

"Why I would be delighted, Sir Gillium!" responded the King, and the archer participants went off with King Roland.

At the archery range, Princess Trudy was there to watch. Sofia had told her dad how good of a teacher Trudy was, but the King didn't want to shirk his responsibility to Sir Gillium.

The King addressed Princess Trudy amiably, " Good evening, princess! I believe you are Princess Trudy of whom I have heard a great deal about from my daughter, Sofia!"

"Good evening, your Majesty! Yes, I am Trudy and I came to see if I might be able to assist you with the archers. "

King Roland saw no harm in Trudy helping, so he agreed.

The four archery contestants chose their bows and arrows, and went to the line. King Roland gave a brief safety talk to them before they started practicing. Zooey and Jin were representing Royal Prep, and Meg and Peg, the Dunwiddie Village School.

As practice began, it became very apparent that Zooey could handle a bow and arrow well. As for the other three, they needed help.

Trudy asked King Roland if she could give some verbal instructions. Roland, with some misgivings agreed.

"Jin, Meg, and Peg, the most important thing to remember in the mechanics to shooting a bow is making sure that your spine is perpendicular to the ground. That gives you a solid foundation to take a shot." Trudy suggested.

All three tried, and Meg and Peg remembered that advice from when they visited Trudy on Saturday. When they all took their first shot at the 10M target, Meg and Peg each hit the 6 point scoring circle. Jin's shot only went about 2 meters.

"That's okay, Jin! Nice first try! Now pull your bowstring back farther, and put some arc on the shot," coached Roland. Jin did, and hit the 2 point scoring circle. He was elated.

"Nice shot!" exclaimed Zooey, which was echoed by, Roland, Meg, Peg and Trudy.

Archery practice continued to go off without a hitch, and Roland was favorably impressed with Trudy's knowledge of archery and her willingness to help others.

After the practice was done, Roland thanked Trudy.

"Trudy, I really appreciate your help today, and I think the archers did as well!" And all three archers smiled at Trudy. "Will you be my assistant coach?"

Trudy was pleasantly surprised by the request.

"Why I would be very happy to help!"

"Good! Then I will see you for the rest of the practices, Trudy."

"Thank you, your Highness!"

Jun and their flying coach had arrived to take Jin home. They waved happily to their friends, both old and new.

But before Trudy left, she went over to the equipment table, took a bow and three arrows , and shot them at the 10M target. King Roland was just settling into the coach to go home with his children when he saw Trudy take the shots and hurried quickly to the range. He wanted to make sure Trudy was alright. He was followed by his three children. He, James and Amber were shocked to see that Trudy had placed all three arrows in the 10 point circle of the 10M target. Sofia just smiled a knowing smile. Trudy had a small smile on her face, which quickly vanished, when she saw that King Roland and his children had seen her take the shots.

"Please don't tell Sir Gillium! I just wanted to try my hand at this target. I won't do it again!" Trudy pleaded with them

"Your secret is safe with us Trudy! Sofia told me you were an excellent shot in archery and I can plainly see you are. It is too bad Sir Gillium doesn't think it is safe for you to participate," replied King Roland. Amber and James just stood there astonished, and Sofia had a wide grin on her face.

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Sir Gillium wanted to watch the Flying Derby practice closely. He was concerned for the safety of the two Dunwiddie Village School riders.

"Alright, ladies! Today I just want you to get used to riding your chosen mounts. Don't get discouraged if you fall. That's why we have this field of cushions for you to land on. Everyone falls the first few times they ride a flying horse, including me!"

Jade had on her riding outfit and got on Ecru first.

"Let's go, Ecru!"

But all Ecru did was take Jade for a slow ride on the ground. Jade was confused.

"How do I get him to fly?" she asked.

"I tell Minimus 'Heya!', and Amber tells Saffron to 'Go'. Maybe a command for up?" suggested Sofia.

"Alright, I'll try 'Up, Ecru!'"

And with that, Ecru took off. Jade didn't expect the instantaneous take off and fell on a cushion. But it didn't take her long to stay on Ecru after that initial ride, and spent the rest of practice on a nice leisurely ride.

Ruby watched Jade and then got on Dove.

"Okay, Dove! 'Up!' "

And Dove took off! Ruby actually held on and was riding Dove well. But then she wanted Dove to go between two trees.

"Come on, Dove!" Ruby aimed Dove right at the middle of the space between, but because of Dove's smaller left wing, she veered to the left and almost hit the left tree! Dove swerved just in time to avoid hitting the tree. Ruby was a little shaken when she landed.

Sir Gillium rushed over to Ruby, "Are you alright, Ruby?"

"I'm fine, Sir Gillium! Just a bit shaken up."

"Now do you want to try to ride Pepper?" And Dove turned sadly toward the stable and started to slowly walk back to it.

Ruby though for a moment, and said, "No, Sir Gillium! It wasn't Dove's fault, it was mine! You told me she veered left, and I didn't take that into account. No, I still want to ride Dove!" When Dove heard those words, she stopped dead in her tracks, and looked hopefully back a Ruby.

Ruby said, "Come on, Dove! We are going to make a great team in the Flying Derby!" Dove was overjoyed and ran back to Ruby, nuzzling her when she got to her. Sir Gillium still had his misgivings, but if Ruby wanted to give it a go with Dove, he wouldn't stop her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The month of training was going very fast. The Royal Prep and Dunwiddie Village students not only were great competitors, but also had developed into friends. Their friendly competition was honing the skills of both schools.

Dazzle Ball was especially spirited! Everyone was playing hard on this Tuesday the week before the Quad School Games. Sir Gillium liked what he was seeing from both schools.

"Nice pass, James!...Excellent defensive stop Lucinda!...Great shot and score, Jade!...Good rush and score, Sofia!..."

But then misfortune struck. Jin leapt high to catch the flying disc, when it changed to a football (American) style ball. In mid air, Jin tried to make an awkward adjustment with his body to try to catch it, but instead lost his balance and crashed hard to the field on his shoulder.

"Ohhhhhh!" Jin cried in pain.

Miss Flora immediately went over to see what she could do. She examined Jin and had some bad news for him.

"I'm sorry, Jin! You sprained your shoulder. I had to immobilize your shoulder to prevent further injury. It's going to take 3-4 weeks to heal, so you will be unable to participate in the Quad School Games."

"And I was so looking forward to participating!" exclaimed a sad Jin.

"That's okay, Jin! You can help us by giving us your loud support at the games!" soothed Sir Gillium.

Practice for the day was called, and all the participants went home.

Sir Gillium had to figure out what to do, as Jin was a Dazzle Ball participant and an Archery participant. So on Wednesday, he decided to ask the students if anyone else wanted to participate.

"Good morning, class!" started Sir Gillium. "I have an announcement. Young Prince Jin was injured yesterday in Dazzle Ball practice, as you all can see, and cannot play in the Quad School Games. If any of you are interested in joining, please see me after school. You will participate in Dazzle Ball and, if possible, Archery."

Zooey gave a nudge to Trudy. "Here's your chance to be added to the team for Archery, Trudy!"

"But I can't play Dazzle Ball, Zooey, so I'm still out of luck!" replied Trudy sadly.

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After school, the participants went to practice Flying Derby and Archery. Zooey intercepted Sofia.

"Sofia! I've got an idea! I'm signed up to participate in the 100M Dash and Archery. I can volunteer for Dazzle Ball and maybe Sir Gillium will give Trudy a chance at the open Archery slot!"

"That's an idea, Zooey, but won't you be too tired to participate in Archery and Dazzle Ball?"

"I don't think so. I will just be using my arms for the strenuous part of archery; there is no running involved."

"If you think you can do it, go for it Zooey!"

So Zooey approached Sir Gillium.

"Sir Gillium?"

"Yes, Princess Zooey?"

"I'd like to fill in on the Dazzle Ball team for the Quad School Games! Jin was going to do Dazzle Ball and Archery, so I'm sure I can too!"

"That's good, Zooey, and I may take you up on it. But you are already on the Archery participation list. I'm going to hold out hope that someone else steps forward, so you won't be our only Archery participant. Now I must go, and supervise the Flying Derby practice. Today we'll be working on basic team plays with the Dunwiddie Village students."

With that, Sir Gillium got on his flying horse and went over to the Flying Derby practice and Zooey went to Archery practice.

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Flying Derby practice was going well. Ruby and Jade would watch Sofia and Hugo perform a team play, and then they would try it.

The Flying Block was very effective for Ruby and Jade, as Dove's angular movement made it very difficult to pass her, giving Jade time to build a lead. And Ruby and Jade decided on how they would use the Wing Blast.

"Remember, Ruby, I'll drop back to give you a Wing Blast and you set up right behind the horse on the outside left. With Dove's ability to fly diagonally, you should pass the rider in front of you with ease."

"Got it!"

Ruby and Jade tried a practice race against Hugo and Sofia, and gave them a good run. Sofia just nipped Ruby by a nose at the Finish Line.

"Great race, Ruby, Jade!"

"I'll say, Sofia! They almost got us!" responded Hugo.

"Thanks guys!" stated Jade.

"We've been able to learn so much from you both by watching you practice together!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Indeed, racers!" complimented Sir Gillium. "I think you are going to surprise your opponents at the Games. They won't suspect Dunwiddie Village students can actually do well in the Flying Derby!"

And with that, the Flying Derby practice ended. Sir Gillium looked around to see if any other students at Royal Prep wanted to take Jin's place, but saw no one. He sadly decided he'd have to accept Zooey's offer, and flew over to the Archery practice field to let her know.

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At Archery practice, Jin showed up with his immobilized shoulder, to lend moral support to the other archers.

Meg and Peg were very concerned.

"I'm sorry you hurt your shoulder, Jin!" stated Meg.

"And won't be able to participate!" added Peg.

"That's okay, Meg, Peg. I just feel bad that Zooey will be our school's only participant in the Archery competition." responded Jin.

"Maybe I will, and maybe I won't," said Zooey. She then addressed King Roland.

"King Roland? Please try to convince Sir Gillium to add Trudy to our archery participation list! She can do it!"

King Roland thought for a while and then said, "Maybe I won't have to do much convincing. I have a plan..." And King Roland laid out his plan to the archers. They were all in, so it was a go.

Sir Gillium soon arrived to let Zooey know that he would accept her offer to join the Dazzle Ball team. As he landed, he was greeted by King Roland and Zooey.

"How has practice gone, King Roland?" Sir Gillium asked.

"Good, Sir Gillium! Zooey told me she was hoping you would come to tell her about her offer."

"And she is right."

Then addressing Zooey, Sir Gillium said, "Zooey, seeing no one else has come forward to take Jin's spot, I am going to accept your offer to join the Dazzle Ball Team. I just feel bad that you will be the only one representing Royal Prep in Archery."

"Maybe not, Sir Gillium!" exclaimed King Roland. "I want you to watch something."

And with that, King Roland took Sir Gillium to a viewing area for the Archery field.

"I want you to watch a secret archer perform, and you can tell me if they could be on the team."

Gillium agreed.

The secret archer first took three shots at the 10M target, and hit the 10, 9, and 9 scoring circles. That got Sir Gillium's attention, as Zooey, Jin, Meg and Peg were there with him watching the demonstration.

The archer did well with the 20M target also, hitting the 9, 8, and 9 scoring circles. The 30M target was just as impressive, as the archer hit the 9, 8 and 8 scoring circles.

"Well, Sir Gillium, what do you think of this archer?" asked King Roland.

"They are outstanding! Are they a student at Royal Prep?"

"Watch and see. Come on out from behind the bush covering, secret archer."

And with that, Trudy rolled out into the open, with a bow in her hand! Sir Gillium was shocked.

"King Roland, do you mean to tell me Princess Trudy was the secret archer?"

"None other, Sir Gillium!"

With that, Sir Gilliam slowly walked to Princess Trudy.

"Princess Trudy, would you like to be on the Royal Prep team? I understand if you don't, as I made a mistake I should not have, namely it's what's inside of a person that counts the most, not what's on the outside. I focused on what you could not do, instead of what you can, and for that I sincerely apologize."

Trudy responded, "There is no need for an apology, Sir Gillium. You did what you thought was right at the time, but now you are giving me a chance. I gladly accept your offer to be on the Royal Prep Archery Squad!"

Everyone gave a loud cheer. Sir Gillium asked Trudy to wait a few minutes and he took off on his horse. He quickly came back with a Royal Prep team uniform for her. Trudy beamingly accepted it. Everyone had a very happy ride home, but no one was happier than Princess Trudy. She felt that she was finally being accepted.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was finally time for the Quad School Games! All of the school participants, and their fans had arrived at Royal Prep, looking forward to the festivities.

King Roland gave a short opening greeting, flanked by Queen Miranda, the three fairies and Sir Gillium.

"Welcome one and all to the inaugural staging of the Quad School Games! This year we added another school to the list of participants: the Dunwiddie Village School! I hope you all enjoy the competitions and good sportsmanship that will be exhibited during these games. Thank you for coming, and LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

Before every event, the rules were reviewed with all participants, especially the one about no magic. With the fairies, along with the sorcerers that serve each kingdom that attends Royal Prep, watching each event closely, any use of magic will result in an instant disqualification of the participant in the individual events, in a turnover to the opposition in the Dazzle Ball competition, and in a rider disqualification in the Flying Derby competition.

The first event: 100 meter dash. James and Zooey represented Royal Prep, Van and Berg represented the Junior Knights, Lucinda and Karl represented Dunwiddie Village, and Wanda and Carol represented Hexley Hall. At the disappearance of the Starter Ribbon (Miss Merryweather doing the honors), the racers were off! They were pretty well bunched together at the 25 meter mark, but they started to achieve some separation at the half way point, with Van holding a slight lead over James, and he holding an even smaller lead over Lucinda! Wanda was just behind Lucinda as they approached the 75 meter mark, but just as the racers got to the finish line Wanda used magic to make a small root spring up and trip Lucinda!

"The winner: Van, of the Junior Knights. second goes to James, and third to Wanda. But wait! There is a foul flag being displayed by Mister Greystroke. We'll have to see what that is about."

Mister Greystroke then conjured up a vision of what had happened just before the finish line to Lucinda. It clearly showed Wanda employing a small wand and causing a small root to trip Lucinda before the finish.

"Based on the evidence, Wanda is disqualified for using magic and all of the racers behind her will be moved up one place, resulting in Lucinda finishing third! So the final order is Van, of the Junior Knights, getting the first place Blue Ribbon; James, from Royal Prep, getting the second place Red Ribbon, and Lucinda, from the Dunwiddie Village School, getting the third place Green Ribbon!"

Needless to say, Hexley Hall supporters were a little bummed out about the decision, but the vision showed the violation very plainly. The decision was correct, but they still didn't like it!

The second event was bowling. It was a very close, and magic free event. After the last ball was thrown, Ben, of the Junior Knights, claimed the Blue Ribbon with a 187 game; Karl, of the Dunwiddie Village School, claimed the Red Ribbon with a 182 game; and Jun, of Royal Prep, claimed the Green Ribbon with a 180 game. The best score for Hexley Hall was a 170 by Syl, which was good enough for fourth.

After the second event, the overall standings showed the Junior Knights with 20 points; Dunwiddie Village School and Royal Prep were tied with 10 points; and Hexley Hall hadn't cracked the ribbon count yet.

The third event was going to be the Flying Derby Race. Vaughan and Vance of the Junior Knights were feeling a bit cocky.

"Looks like the Junior Knights are going to win these games too, Vaughan, just like we always do!"

"You are so right Vance! And after we win this event, we'll pretty much have an insurmountable lead. After all, that Dunwiddie Village School probably can't even RIDE flying horses, and Royal Prep was lucky to beat us for the Flying Crown!" added Vaughan, with a smirk.

The race was modified a bit. All four schools would race in one large race. The fairies had doubled the width of the track, the number of bridges and the number of bell towers, so each team had an equal chance. The team horses were put in the expanded starting gate side by side, next to one another.

Sofia and Hugo would be in post positions 3 and 4; Jade and Ruby were in post positions 7 and 8. Hexley Hall pulled starting positions 1 and 2 with the Junior Knights in 5 and 6.

And they were off! As anticipated, the Junior Knights raced into the lead, followed by Royal Prep, Hexley Hall, and Dunwiddie Village. At the bridge, the Junior Knights executed a Flying Block on Royal Prep, as did Hexley Hall on Dunwiddie Village. But the results weren't as anticipated. Royal Prep used an Over the Top move to jump over the surprised Junior Knights. Jade and Ruby executed their pass surprise as well, using a Wing Blast to power Ruby diagonally by the startled blocking Hexley Hall riders. The Junior Knights urged their steeds ever faster, only to have Hugo and Sofia employ the Royal Slingshot to push Sofia and Minimus well ahead, while Hugo blocked the Knights. Once again, Jade and Ruby tried to use a Wing Blast to power Ruby diagonally past the Junior Knights, but they had caught what they had done to Hexley Hall and effectively blocked Ruby, using Hugo's block to aid them. As they came to the bell towers, Sofia and Minimus flew through the left tower, while the Junior Knights sped through the right one. Ruby and Jade still held a nice lead over Hexley Hall, as they flew through the left tower. The finish wasn't really close for first, as Sofia and Minimus crossed the line a good 7 lengths ahead of second. But the race for second was tight! The Junior Knights continued to just employ the raw speed of their horses as they approached the finish line. Once again, Jade gave Ruby a Wing Blast, and she was closing fast on the Junior Knights. As it turned out, the Junior Knights just nipped Ruby and Dove by a nose, for second. Dunwiddie Village came in comfortably in third, with Hexley Hall bringing up the rear, a good 10 lengths back.

"I don't believe it! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! We came in THIRD, JADE!" exclaimed an exuberant Ruby.

"We sure did!" added Jade as she hugged Ruby.

The Junior Knights were in a fog. "How did Royal Prep beat us AGAIN?" asked a stunned Vance.

Ruby and Jade then went over to Hugo and Sofia.

"Congratulations, Hugo; Sofia! Great race!" exclaimed Jade.

"I'll say," responded Hugo. "You almost caught the Junior Knights at the finish!"

"Well, we had good friends to train with!" stated Ruby, as she smiled at Sofia and Hugo.

"I'm glad you two did so well!" a happy Sofia stated as she hugged her two village friends.

The final official finish of the Flying Derby Race was, Royal Prep, Blue Ribbon; the Junior Knights Academy, Red Ribbon; and the Dunwiddie Village School, Green Ribbon.

That result tightened the overall standings a bit. The Junior Knights still led with 27 points, but Royal Prep took over second, now with 20 points, and Dunwiddie Village School was in third with 13 points. Hexley Hall was starting to get frustrated, as they has yet to win a ribbon, and they usually won the Red Ribbons (with a little help from magic). Without magic, Hexley Hall was flummoxed.

The fourth event was Dazzle Ball, and this was modified as well. All four teams would play on a field double the size, with four goals and two balls in play. Ribbons would be awarded based on total points scored. The game would start with a double jump ball at the center of the field.

It became quite apparent that Hexley Hall was bent on trying to use magic to score, but their attempts were frustrated throughout the entire first half, resulting in a turnover to the team they 'scored' on. They didn't use magic in the second half.

With two balls in play, the goaltenders had to be extra vigilant, as two shots could be coming at the same time! Raymond was a blur in the Dunwiddie Village goal, only allowing one score: Ben (Knights). Zandar was equally fantastic, as he also only allowed one goal on Royal Prep: Jade (Dunwiddie). Butch wasn't so lucky in the goal for the Junior Knight, surrendering four goals: Jade; Sofia; James; Lucinda. Elliot was totally out of it as he allowed six goals: James; Sofia; Meg; Peg; Berg (Knights) and Ben (Knights). So at the half it was: Dunwiddie 5; Royal Prep 4; Junior Knights 3; Hexley Hall 0.

In the second half, the Junior Knights tried to dominate the ball, but the speed of Royal Prep and Dunwiddie Village stifled that strategy. Jun, Sofia, and James notched second half goals to give Royal Prep 7 at game's end. Meg, Peg and Jade scored for Dunwiddie Village giving them 8. Van and Ben put in goals for the Junior Knights giving them 5. Hexley Hall finally cracked the scoreboard with three tallies of their own by Elliot, Amy, and Kurt. So the final finish was Dunwiddie Village School, Blue Ribbon; Royal Prep, Red Ribbon; Junior Knights, Green Ribbon.

With these results, the junior Knights still led the overall score with 30 points, followed by Royal Prep with 27, and Dunwiddie Village School with 23.

The final event was archery. The Junior Knights knew that a win in this event would sew up another Games trophy for them. Even if they came in second and Royal Prep came in first, they would still share the Gold Trophy. Heck, all they needed was a third place finish to get the Silver Trophy, so they felt like they had this competition in the bag.

They also noted that Zooey was looking a little fatigued after the Dazzle Ball event. They then noticed that Royal Prep's other archer was in a wheelchair.

"Portis! We got this! That one participant is tired and the other a cripple! We can't lose!"

"Got that right, Vaughan. They're really scrapping the bottom of the barrel with a contestant in a wheelchair!" And with that the teams of Junior Knights and Hexley Hall let out a roar of laughter.

An angry Zooey walked over to Trudy, and said, "Don't pay any mind to them, Trudy! We can beat them, and you're going to lead the way!"

Trudy smiled and replied quietly to Zooey, "All that does is sharpen my concentration, Zooey! We'll show them!"

And an angry Meg and Peg walked over to Trudy as well.

"We'll turn that laughter into tears" stated Meg emphatically.

"...after this event!" finished Peg.

Trudy smiled at her friends and stated, "Don't put undue pressure on yourselves! All they have done in increased my motivation!" Meg and Peg smiled. They knew that Trudy could be nearly unstoppable when her dander was up.

Zandar remarked loud enough for the Junior Knights and Hexley Hall to hear," We'll see who's laughing AFTER the event!"

James added loudly, "You have that right!"

Hugo agreed loudly as did all the rest of the Royal Prep and Dunwiddie Village contestants.

The first target was at 10 meters. After the first four archers, Zooey led with 27 points, followed by Peg with 26, Vaughan with 26 and Amy (Hexley) with 24. Trudy was the last archer. Of the remaining 3, Meg scored 27 points, Elliot (Hexley) had 25 and Portis (Knights) had 28.

"Beat that, cripple!" remarked Portis smugly to Trudy.

Trudy did, and all of the sudden it got very quiet in the Junior Knight and Hexley Hall camps. Trudy scored two 10 point circles and a 9 point circle putting her in the lead. She let a small smile come across her face, which her team and Dunwiddie Village saw, and both also smiled.

The second round target was at 20 meters. There was no trash talking this time, as Trudy again led all archers with a 27 point round, and an overall total of 56 points. She was followed by Portis and Peg with 52 points; Meg and Zooey with 51; Vaughan with 49; Elliot with 46; and Amy with 43.

As the third round was about to begin, it was plain that Zooey was very fatigued, but she again refused to withdraw as she felt she may place as high as third, even as tired as she was.

The Junior Knights took notice of Zooey. "We have to stop that cripple!" said Butch.

"Yeah! Royal Prep can't finish higher than third, and we have to win!" added Van.

Ben said, "I've got an idea!" and he walked over to Hexley Hall's participants. Some type of agreement had been reached, as he returned to his own team. "All set. That cripple won't beat us." And he then explained what the deal was. His teammates smiled snidely as the third round was about to commence.

The last target was at 30 meters. Once again, because she led all archers, Trudy would shoot last. Zooey. Meg, Peg and Portis would precede her. The fatigue was starting to affect Zooey, as she scored 18 points. Meg followed and did pretty well, scoring 22 points. Peg also did pretty well, scoring 20 points. Portis didn't take into account how he would handle the pressure though, as he only shot an 18, so currently Meg led the overall with 73 points, Peg had 72 points, Portis had 70 and Zooey had 69. Still, even if they came in third, the Junior Knights would claim the Silver Trophy and beat Royal Prep.

Just as Trudy came to the line, a brisk crosswind started to blow, thanks to Carol (Hexley). That was the deal. Hexley Hall couldn't win any ribbons, so they agreed to help the Junior Knights 'save face' by making sure they didn't lose to 'a cripple'. The magic was detected by the Hexley Hall judge, but he chose not to report it.

Trudy didn't mind. She just smiled, as she got ready to shoot. Her first arrow got fully caught by the wind and only hit the four point scoring circle. Her teammates let out a groan, but Trudy was undeterred. She used her first arrow to perfect her adjustment for her remaining two arrows. The second arrow curved from right to left, hitting the 10 point circle. The crowd loved it and applauded wildly, as the Hexley Hall and Junior Knight teams stood there with their mouths hanging collectively to the ground. Trudy's last shot was just as good, as she hit the 10 point circle again.

She had done it! Trudy had won the archery ribbon, and with that, secured Royal Prep's first ever Gold Trophy finish! The final archery standings were: Trudy with 80 points, Blue Ribbon; Meg, Dunwiddie Village, 73 points, Red Ribbon; and Peg, Dunwiddie Village, 72 points, Green Ribbon.

The final overall standings showed Royal Prep, Gold Trophy, 37 points; Dunwiddie Village School, Silver Trophy, 33 points; and the Junior Knights Academy, Bronze Trophy, 30 points.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sir Gillium accepted the Gold Trophy, from the hosting monarch, King Roland, for Royal Prep, Miss Makin accepted the Silver Trophy for the Dunwiddie Village School, and Captain Sir Elderson accepted the Bronze Trophy for the Junior Knights Academy. Then Sir Gillium was asked to say a few words.

"Thank you, your Majesty. And I would like to thank all of the athletes who participated in this historic event! The Quad School Games could not exist without your will, training, and devotion to your respective schools. I especially want to thank King Roland for inviting, and Miss Makin for accepting the invitation for the Dunwiddie Village School, to join in the Quad School Games.

"I want to thank all of the Royal Prep participants specifically, for their performance in this historic event.

"As many of you know, Royal Prep prepared with the Dunwiddie Village School for these games. The camaraderie, willingness to learn and friendship between these two schools will last longer than the trophies and ribbons won today. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Dunwiddie Village School for earning the Silver Trophy in their inaugural Quad School Games appearance. Well done. And I would also like to congratulate the Junior Knights Academy for winning the Bronze Trophy.

"This event also reinforced ideals I should have known and practiced, but for some reason I suppressed. Dunwiddie students had never flown flying horses before, until 4 weeks ago. At Royal Prep we gladly loaned them any horses of their choosing. One rider, Miss Ruby Hanshaw, chose a horse with a physically defective wing, Dove, which caused the horse to fly from right to left diagonally. I tried to convince her to choose another mount, but she saw something I had blocked out in my mind, in the horse. Ruby and Dove became a perfect fit for Jade and Ecru, and they used Dove's 'defect' to actually win the Green Ribbon in the Flying Derby; an outstanding finish for riders and horses together for only a month!

"And then in the archery contest, I was again reminded of that ideal. Princess Trudy didn't dwell on what she could not do; instead she focused on what she could, and she was able to pick up Zooey, a fatigued and determined team player who was the only participant to compete in three events! Both Miss Ruby and Princess Trudy reminded me it is not what you see on the outside, but what's on the inside. That is where the real worth is. I'll will try to always remember that ideal.

"Thank you."

The crowd erupted in a joyous applause, from all of the various schools' supporters! Sir Gillium had summed up the idea behind the games, most eloquently, as well as an ideal to live by. For the first time, the participants from the Junior Knights Academy and Hexley Hall understood that the Games were about sportsmanship and fair play. Ribbons and trophies were just fluff. One by one, the participants from the Junior Knights Academy and Hexley Hall joined their counterparts from Royal Prep and the Dunwiddie Village School, offering heartfelt congratulations, and apologizing for any unsportsmanlike conduct.

Ben and Carol specifically walked over to Trudy.

"I'm...I'm sorry Trudy for what I asked Hexley Hall to do to you on that last target. Sir Gillium was right; it's not what you see, but what you don't that is the true measure of a person!" exclaimed Ben sadly.

Trudy smiled and extended a hand in friendship. "No hard feelings, Ben! Sometimes we let the pressure of the moment dictate what we do, instead of thinking it through."

Carol also apologized to Trudy, and again Trudy graciously accepted in a friendly manner.

As the schools got ready to leave, Trudy said, "Why don't you stay for refreshments? The village school was already invited and I'm sure we can accommodate everyone," gesturing to the Knights and Hexley Hall.

Miss Flora responded, "Of course we can! This will be the perfect end to the inaugural Quad School Games Competition!"

The two schools looked at each other, and then at Miss Flora and Trudy. With smiles and cheers of joy, The Junior Knights Academy and Hexley Hall joined their fellow competitors in a relaxing and enjoyable party. Quite literally the end to an enjoyable competition!


End file.
